Trump Administration Removes NTSB Vice Chair Unexpectedly

Trump Administration Removes NTSB Vice Chair Unexpectedly \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Alvin Brown, vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, was abruptly removed by the Trump administration. The ousting comes as the agency handles over 1,200 active investigations, including major aviation and infrastructure disasters. The White House gave no explanation for the rare dismissal.

Quick Looks

• Alvin Brown, NTSB vice chair, was abruptly removed by the Trump administration.
• No reason provided by the White House; Brown has not commented publicly.
• His term was to last until 2026; he was appointed in April 2024 by President Biden.
• Brown was the only Black member of the NTSB board.
• The dismissal comes as NTSB juggles over 1,200 active investigations.
• Key cases include the DC midair crash and Baltimore bridge collapse.
• Former investigators say such removals are extremely rare and unusual.
• NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy has called the agency “lean but vital” to public safety.
• Brown’s bio and photo were removed from the NTSB website the same day.
• The NTSB board now shows only four members, instead of five.

Deep Look

In a rare and unexpected move, the Trump administration has removed Alvin Brown, the vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), just over a year into his five-year term. The decision, confirmed by the White House on Tuesday, comes without public explanation and arrives at a time when the NTSB is under enormous investigative pressure, with more than 1,200 active cases and a series of high-profile transportation disasters unfolding across the country.

Brown, a former mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, and senior adviser in the Department of Transportation, had been nominated by President Joe Biden and sworn in in April 2024. His term was expected to run through 2026, and he served as the only Black member of the NTSB’s five-person board. As of Tuesday evening, his photo and biography were scrubbed from the agency’s official website, and the board now publicly lists only four members.

According to the NTSB’s governance structure, board members are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate for five-year terms, while the chair and vice chair are designated by the president for three-year terms. While it is not unprecedented for appointees to transition out of these roles with changing administrations, experts say abrupt terminations without cause are virtually unheard of—especially within an independent safety agency whose mission is to remain apolitical and investigative in nature.

Jeff Guzzetti, a former NTSB and FAA accident investigator, called the decision “abrupt and unusual,” noting that in most cases, board members finish their term unless they choose to resign or a new administration replaces them at the end of their tenure. “This wasn’t that,” Guzzetti said. “This was direct and politically driven. And I don’t know what the impetus is.”

The removal comes at a critical moment for the agency, which is actively investigating a series of nationally significant tragedies, including:

• The deadly midair collision in January 2024 involving a passenger jet and an Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., which killed 67 people.
• The crash of a medical transport plane in Philadelphia, also in January, that killed eight people and raised questions about maintenance standards.
• The catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in March 2024, which killed six construction workers and disrupted global shipping routes through the Port of Baltimore.

These investigations have placed a renewed spotlight on the NTSB’s capabilities, budget, and independence. Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy, who has repeatedly testified before Congress about the agency’s rising caseload, described the NTSB in recent hearings as a “lean but vital agency”. According to her, the agency manages roughly 2,200 domestic cases and over 450 international investigations annually, and the scope and complexity of incidents are increasing—from aviation and rail to marine, highway, pipeline, and even commercial spaceflight accidents.

In the current climate, the abrupt removal of a senior board member has raised concerns about whether the Trump administration is interfering in independent safety bodies that are intended to function outside of political influence. While the White House did not provide a reason for Brown’s removal, the context is deeply political: Brown was a Biden-era appointee, and his role was seen as bringing much-needed diversity and local governance expertise to a federal board often dominated by career regulators and engineers.

His prior experience as mayor of Jacksonville and as a federal adviser for community infrastructure initiatives offered a unique perspective on how federal transportation safety policy intersects with local planning, disaster response, and public trust. Losing that insight during a period of major national transportation crises may not only impact internal board dynamics but also public confidence in the agency’s impartiality.

In broader terms, Brown’s removal coincides with ongoing tensions around federal downsizing and agency autonomy. While the NTSB has been exempted from deferred resignation mandates and federal workforce reduction programs, there has been growing political pressure to realign independent agencies more closely with administration priorities. Homendy has lobbied for modest budget increases to expand investigative teams and improve technology infrastructure, but these requests have received mixed reception in the current budget environment.

Moreover, the NTSB is also at a pivotal point in terms of public visibility. The agency plays a central role in determining the causes of accidents, issuing safety recommendations, and shaping national transportation policy. Its reports are often cited in legislative reforms, civil lawsuits, and industry rulemaking. Removing a key figure like Brown in the midst of multiple active investigations risks delaying or politicizing decisions that affect millions of travelers, workers, and commercial operators.

As of now, no replacement has been announced, and the board continues to operate with one vacant seat. With an active caseload that includes some of the most serious transportation incidents in recent memory, the loss of Brown—both symbolically and operationally—has left a noticeable gap in leadership.

Critics have also pointed out the lack of transparency surrounding the decision. In an era when accountability and institutional trust are paramount, federal agencies tasked with investigating loss of life and catastrophic failures must uphold the highest standards of integrity. Removing a board member without public cause, particularly one representing marginalized communities, only fuels speculation about political motives and weakens the credibility of the process.

Going forward, all eyes will be on whether the administration moves to quickly fill the vacant seat, and whether Congress or outside watchdogs launch an inquiry into the basis for Brown’s dismissal. In the meantime, the NTSB remains at the center of public scrutiny, charged with the enormous task of safeguarding transportation safety amid growing complexity—and now, diminished leadership.

More on US News